Ravenswood trees live on in new promenade seating
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Approximately 133 metres of new timber seating (equivalent to 66 park benches) made mostly from recycled timber has been installed around the promenade at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens - Garden for the Future.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Margaret O’Rourke said the new seating features the reuse of approximately 700 linear metres of reclaimed Red Gum from the trees that were removed as a result of the Ravenswood interchange project on the Calder Freeway, thanks to a partnership with Regional Roads Victoria, Bendigo Northern District Community Enterprise and the Friends of the Bendigo Botanic Gardens.
“The new promenade seat is a significant feature of the Garden for the Future design and is located around the main promenade adjacent to the garden’s two key event spaces, the stage and the fun and fantasy lawn amphitheatre,” Cr O’Rourke said.
“This has been a great project and we are grateful that Regional Roads Victoria has provided such a unique legacy for the community by supplying the project with the milled timber that was removed for the Ravenswood interchange.
“The promenade seating was always part of the original plans for the garden and is in the same style as the existing seating in the new garden. It will provide visitors with a place to sit, relax and admire the beautiful new gardens and will also provide additional seating for events.
“The Garden for the Future already has many sustainable features to embrace the future and this project is a creative, meaningful and enduring way to re-use the Ravenswood timber to ensure it will be cherished well into the future.
“In addition to the new seating the City is also constructing two new all-weather shelters which are located at different ends of the garden to provide attractive shaded and sheltered locations for events such as weddings and parties.
“The City is very grateful to Regional Roads Victoria, Bendigo Northern District Community Enterprise and the Friends of the Botanic Gardens for supporting this project.”